1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective screens for protecting persons in a motor vehicle. More particularly, the present invention provides a protective screen which fits over the window of a motor vehicle and protects the driver and/or passengers in the motor vehicle from flying objects, such as rocks, bricks, blocks and/or other debris thrown at the vehicle and further protects persons from the glass that may be broken by such flying objects causing slivers of glass and pieces of glass to spew into the vehicle. The invention further provides a see-through screen that is flexible, readily portable and easily fitted into place on a vehicle and easily moved from vehicle to vehicle.
2. Prior Art
In the past few years attacks by people against police vehicles and military vehicles and the personnel in such vehicles have become more prevalent. Often attacks against such vehicle are made without warning as the vehicle is driven down the road way and the attacks are broken off by the attackers before the occupants of the vehicle can stop the vehicle and engage the attackers. In coping with this problem, it appears prudent for the police and/or military personnel to retreat from such attacks, especially when an attack occurs in a densely populated area. Such attacks often involve the throwing of rocks, bricks, blocks and/or other objects at a passing vehicle, resulting in hitting the window glass on the vehicle and breaking the window, the thrown, flying objects and flying glass causing injury to the occupants of the vehicle.
Protective devices for this kind of attack have not been anticipated and those protective devices for motor vehicles that appear to be available are expensive, require much time for fitting and mounting the device on vehicle. Available protective devices are difficult to remove and change from vehicle to vehicle, and are generally inflexible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,316, issued to Medlin teaches a lightweight armored vehicle and a method of making a vehicle bulletproof but it is believed that the structure and methods taught by Medlin are excessive where thrown objects such as rocks, bricks and/or blocks are used against a motor vehicle.
Other U.S. patents, such as:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 1,982,455 issued to Sansbury 1934 U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,174 issued to Giberson 1937 U.S. Pat. No. 2,595,833 issued to Flaherty 1952 ______________________________________
each teach screen apparatus that addresses the problem of flying insects entering open windows of vehicles. These vehicle screens are relatively weak, special purpose screens and, it is believed are not up-gradeable so as to use such screen to protect vehicle passengers from heavy objects thrown at a vehicle, nor protect occupants of a vehicle from broken and splinted glass.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,850 issued to Schatzman in 1961 teaches an interior mounted screening or grille that prevents access to the interior of a vehicle through a window opening where the window is open or has been smashed. The Schatzman teaching is a theft prevention device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,957 issued to O'Shea in 1992 teaches a protection sheet that addresses the problem of protection from broken glass and other debris after an accident has occurred. The O'Shea teaching is directed toward containment of glass broken during the rescue of victims of a vehicle accident.